Super Bowl banks on a weather report

When I was a sports writer in New Jersey in the mid 1990s, the NJSIAA made a bad, yet understandable, mistake.

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poconorecord.com

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Posted Jan. 24, 2014 at 12:01 AM

Posted Jan. 24, 2014 at 12:01 AM

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When I was a sports writer in New Jersey in the mid 1990s, the NJSIAA made a bad, yet understandable, mistake.

The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association moved the state wrestling tournament from its boardwalk convention center in Atlantic City to just a few blocks inland.

It was an utter and total disaster.

The sight lines were horrible for fans.

It wasn't as close to hotels.

The atmosphere was horrible.

The association, in an attempt to keep the tournament the same, took a chance on a new location while Atlantic City's convention center was being renovated.

On paper it sounded like no big deal. It was just three or four blocks away from the previous location, after all.

Fast forward to 2014 when the NFL is taking a similar risk by hosting a Super Bowl in a cold weather city. On paper, it doesn't sound like this is a big deal.

And then Tuesday's snow hit the New York City region — 13 inches to be exact.

Those in charge said the storm provided a "dress rehearsal" should a storm hit near the scheduled Feb. 2 Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Giants and Jets.

Dress rehearsal?

That sounds so, high school play, to me.

Those in charge gave themselves 18 hours to remove the snow. Did they hit the mark? They never said.

And what happens if it snows on Saturday, Feb. 1. Then what?

Well, officials haven't ruled out moving the game.

Moving the game!?

This isn't a Sweet 16 birthday party.

Officials haven't ruled out playing the game on Friday or Saturday if it looks like there may be a major snow storm coming Sunday, or even pushing it back to Monday.

Really? That's a plan? That sounds like an abort mission.

How does one exactly notify fans, airlines (remember the stadium is in a no-flight zone during the Super Bowl), transportation, vendors, TV, radio, hotels, and the list goes on, that the single largest sporting event in the world will be moved?

I know how it went nearly 20 years ago in Atlantic City when a few thousand wrestling fans chanted "this place sucks" prior to the finals.

To date it is still one of the funniest and saddest displays of dissatisfaction ever seen at a sporting event I have witnessed.

Pray for good weather New York — or any other cold-weather city — or you'll never see another cold-weather Super Bowl again.